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In what appears to be a fast growing divide along ideological lines within the local Democratic Party, a coalition of organized labor groups have come out in favor of the proposed NASCAR track. As of May 18, as many as 16 separate labor organizations, including our state’s largest and most powerful, the Washington State Labor Council, which represents a myriad of individual unions, had come out in favor of the project. So has the Kitsap County Central Labor Council, Pierce County Central Labor Council and the Puget Sound Metal Trades Council, which represents the trades in the shipyards.
Meanwhile the local 23rd District, 26th District and 35th District Democratic organizations have all come out against it.
Labor is one of the more powerful interest groups that traditionally support Democratic candidates and principles. However, the environmental factions within the local organizations have long had the upper hand in determining policy, but appear to be out of touch with the regular rank and file, working class, Democratic union members on this issue — and the green faction is totally unwilling to compromise.
Labor organizations endorsing
the NASCAR project as of May 29:
- Washington State Labor Council
- Kitsap County Central Labor Council
- Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council
- Olympic Peninsula Building and Construction Trades Council
- Puget Sound Metal Trades Council
- Pierce County Central Labor Council
- Pierce County Building and Construction Trades Council
- King County Building and Construction Trades Council
- Northwest Washington Building and Construction Trades Council
- Olympic Labor Council
- Sheet Metal Workers, Local 66
- Iron Workers District Council of the Pacific Northwest
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 46
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 191
- Machinist Union Local 751
- Communications Workers of America Local 7818
- Office Professional Employees International Union Local 23
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At the center of the conflict is 23rd District Rep. Sherry Appleton (D-Poulsbo) who has passionately and vocally led the charge against the track both locally and in Olympia. Appleton has long had strong ties to organized labor, and prior to being elected, worked as an Olympia lobbyist for several unions.
“We worked hard to get Sherry elected,” said Virgil Hamilton, president of the Olympic Peninsula Building and Construction Trades Council. “And we can work just as hard to defeat her if she’s determined to take the food off our tables. Maybe Sherry should try commuting three and half hours each way to go to work every day, and get a taste of what it’s like for our members. It would sure be nice if they could work right here at home for a change.”
Hamilton’s group has steadfastly refused to endorse Appleton for re-election as well, but stopped short of endorsing her opponent, 9/11 survivor, Republican Earl C. Johnson of Bainbridge Island.
At a 26th District Democrats meeting in February, Hamilton tried explaining labor’s position on the track to the members in attendance. One of the sponsors of a motion to come out against the track, well known environmental activist Beth Wilson, all but lost her temper with Hamilton when he said that his organization won’t endorse or contribute financially to candidates who don’t support the track. “We won’t be blackmailed like this,” shouted an enraged Wilson. “Who do you think you are, coming in here like this and dictating to us?”
The motion was eventually tabled that night, but Wilson and opposition group C.H.E.C.K.’s co-founder Tom Donnelly brought up a separate motion at the April meeting. Hamilton pleaded with the membership to take no action on that motion, and again explained the union’s position. He reasoned that the party shouldn’t be putting its own candidates in a situation of having to choose between union support, or the party’s position. However, Wilson and Donnelly steamrollered over Hamilton’s plea for neutrality, passing their motion with help from C.H.E.C.K. members by making certain they had enough votes in attendance to override any potential challenge.
The Washington State Labor Council and Pierce County Labor Council’s endorsements of the project are contingent upon what Hamilton termed “Card-Check Neutrality and Project-Labor agreements with International Speedway Corp. (ISC) and Great Western Sports (GWS).” He said that both items have already been agreed to by all parties and the final paperwork is in process.
ISC Project Manager Grant Lynch has stated from the beginning that the job will be built with 100 percent union labor — just as all its tracks have been. Atlanta-Based Turner Construction, one of the largest industrial construction firms in the world, has built the last several ISC facilities and is expected to build the one here. Turner, which currently has projects underway in downtown Seattle, is a union firm. |
